January 31, 2007
January 30, 2007
January 29, 2007
Fran-ken! Frank-ken!
He leaving Air American to run for Senate.
Yeah!
Oh I'm sorry he's going to "explore a run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota."
That's what we call "running" these days.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Oh I'm sorry he's going to "explore a run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota."
That's what we call "running" these days.
Yeah!
Curtains
The coolest thing about the Scooter Libby trial has turned out to be that its giving us a real look at inside this most secretive of Administrations. These Guys are bottled up so tight its hard to find out evens the names of the people who work for the Vice-President, much less what they do or how they do it.
But the Libby trial is putting Administration officials under oath and that has been revealing a lot. Last week it was Cathie Martin, the former hack for Cheney on the stand revealing how the White House deals with bad press.
This week - Ari Fleischer - thats right, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer will be on the stand and under oath.
Ari Fleischer will be under oath! He will not be able to lie! How long have we wanted that to happen.
If only we could ask him about more than Libby. Now that would be a show.
But the Libby trial is putting Administration officials under oath and that has been revealing a lot. Last week it was Cathie Martin, the former hack for Cheney on the stand revealing how the White House deals with bad press.
This week - Ari Fleischer - thats right, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer will be on the stand and under oath.
Ari Fleischer will be under oath! He will not be able to lie! How long have we wanted that to happen.
If only we could ask him about more than Libby. Now that would be a show.
January 28, 2007
Smoking Aces
Ah the frenetic, mad-cap, shoot-em-up criminal dark comedy. Thanks to Guy Richie and Tarantino, this has become a genre all its own, right next to serial killer thriller, romantic comedy and Dying of something Oscar bait.
Now this isn't the best entry in the genre, but it is a fun genre. A collection of wacky hit-men, hit-women and hit-things set out to kill Jermey Pivin's Buddy "Aces" Israel - a stage magician turned mobster turned informant. I'm not sure why a guy named Buddy Israel needs a nickname, but OK I'm just going to go with it.
Violence ensues, including the proper use of a .50 caliber sniper rifle and the misuse of chain saw. In one fight a security guard is lit on fire for what I'm guessing is no other reason than it looks cool.
Highlights include Alicia Keys as a smoky hit-chick, Ben Affleck doing fine work as both a mook of a bail bondsman and a corpse, and Jermey Pivin hitting rock bottom in fine fashion. When he looks out upon a luxury hotel room filled with passed-out hookers and weeps, I was genuinely moved.
Not Dying of Something Oscar Bait moved, but moved.
Now this isn't the best entry in the genre, but it is a fun genre. A collection of wacky hit-men, hit-women and hit-things set out to kill Jermey Pivin's Buddy "Aces" Israel - a stage magician turned mobster turned informant. I'm not sure why a guy named Buddy Israel needs a nickname, but OK I'm just going to go with it.
Violence ensues, including the proper use of a .50 caliber sniper rifle and the misuse of chain saw. In one fight a security guard is lit on fire for what I'm guessing is no other reason than it looks cool.
Highlights include Alicia Keys as a smoky hit-chick, Ben Affleck doing fine work as both a mook of a bail bondsman and a corpse, and Jermey Pivin hitting rock bottom in fine fashion. When he looks out upon a luxury hotel room filled with passed-out hookers and weeps, I was genuinely moved.
Not Dying of Something Oscar Bait moved, but moved.
January 27, 2007
January 26, 2007
No Shame
What I love about Hannity is his complete lack of shame.
Here he is lecturing WESLEY CLARK, a retired four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander on military statagy.
Here he is lecturing WESLEY CLARK, a retired four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander on military statagy.
January 25, 2007
Quote of the Day
"If You Wanted A Safe Job, Go Sell Shoes"
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) The most righteous Republican on Iraq, getting all up in his colleagues faces on the issue.
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) The most righteous Republican on Iraq, getting all up in his colleagues faces on the issue.
Kerry is Out
Will not try again.
I really wish were discussing the Kerry re-election campaign and not this, but oh well.
I really wish were discussing the Kerry re-election campaign and not this, but oh well.
January 24, 2007
January 23, 2007
Its an Honor Just to be...
Academy Awards nominations are out today. The Departed is the only best picture nominee I've seen and its the best film I've saw all year, so good pick folks.
Dreamgirls has 3 of the 5 best song nominees. But can they top Its Hard Out Here for a Pimp? I don't think so.
Oh and An Inconvenient Truth got a nomination for best documentary, so there will be a nice political angle to the ceremony this year. And you know how I love that.
Dreamgirls has 3 of the 5 best song nominees. But can they top Its Hard Out Here for a Pimp? I don't think so.
Oh and An Inconvenient Truth got a nomination for best documentary, so there will be a nice political angle to the ceremony this year. And you know how I love that.
January 22, 2007
Bad Weekend
27 US troopers died over the weekend. 13 died in a helicopter crash and five died when they were attacked by Iraqis wearing US uniforms. How the hell does that happen?
January 20, 2007
Hilary is In
At least now we can all stop pretending like she was still making up her mind about running.
January 19, 2007
Not Bringing the Funny
You know that thing are really bad if you can no longer make jokes about it.
Its now official: Bush is in such a bad place you can no longer make jokes about it. This year's White House Correspondents Association dinner will feature Rich Little (famous in the 70's for his Nixon impersonation) not cracking any jokes at Bush's expense. Last year's WHCD was famous for Stephen Colber's incredible speech, taken completely at Bush's expense. ("This is a man who believes the same thing on Thursday that he believed on Tuesday, no matter what has happened on Wednesday!")
A dark place indeed.
Oh and speaking of Colber, he traded guest appearances with Bill O'Reilly, in a move which could very well rupture the fabric of space and time.
Its now official: Bush is in such a bad place you can no longer make jokes about it. This year's White House Correspondents Association dinner will feature Rich Little (famous in the 70's for his Nixon impersonation) not cracking any jokes at Bush's expense. Last year's WHCD was famous for Stephen Colber's incredible speech, taken completely at Bush's expense. ("This is a man who believes the same thing on Thursday that he believed on Tuesday, no matter what has happened on Wednesday!")
A dark place indeed.
Oh and speaking of Colber, he traded guest appearances with Bill O'Reilly, in a move which could very well rupture the fabric of space and time.
January 18, 2007
Senator Franken?
It sounds more and more like he is going to run for US Senate from Minnesota. I'm giddy with anticipation.
Lets be clear - A manly-type giddy. Not schoolgirl-type giddy.
He-He.
Lets be clear - A manly-type giddy. Not schoolgirl-type giddy.
He-He.
January 17, 2007
Clearing Snow
Tony Snow is hard to stump. He's slick, he's smart and he has no soul. He's everthing you need in a Press Secretary for an Administration thats rapidly running down the drain.
But I think David Gregory got him with this question:
What's An Appropriate Way To Dissent?
But I think David Gregory got him with this question:
What's An Appropriate Way To Dissent?
Trials
"Scooter" Libby, Dick Cheney's former chief of staff has gone on trial. Pergery related to the outing of a CIA agent. (Its the crime not the cover-up, don't you know) The jury questions area all about how trustworthy the Bush administration is. The reason for that is that Cheney is likely to take the stand in Libby's defense. A host of big-time Washington jouralists, lead by Tim Russert, host of Meet the Press, will be testifing for the prosicution. This is the best show in town.
January 16, 2007
True Outrage
Somebody stole my neighborhood mailbox! The blue metal one down on the corner. Who the hell does that? Is it worth anything? Now I have to go ten blocks and not three to drop off mail! Not to mention the poor shlubs who mailed their bills in that box right box right before the cretins made off with it. This is an outrage!
UPDATE: Interesting Plot twist in comments, you do check the comments, right?
UPDATE: Interesting Plot twist in comments, you do check the comments, right?
January 15, 2007
Grrraaawww!
I think I'm starting to develop some sort of allergic rage reaction to Bush Administration talking points. It's like the rage virus in 28 Days later. So when Cheney goes on FoxNews and claims, still, that we are making "enormous progress" in Iraq or Bush does his weekly radio address and says critics of the war aren't offering a plan of their own, instead of a measured, thoughtful response with a dose of sarcasm all that comes out of me is an incoherent "Raaaaa"
January 14, 2007
Weekend YouTube Blogging
Michael Penn - No Myth Ah from back in day. Nifty bit of songwriting, this:
January 12, 2007
January 11, 2007
Becks is Coming
Big news in the world of Soccer as David Beckham has signed a deal (250 Milliaon!) to play for the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer. Beckham may have lost a step as a player (he has been dropped from the English National team) but he a global superstar without equal in world sports. He will bring the one thing that Soccer in the United States needs more than anything: attention.
David "The Closer" Hirshey has more on the deal. I started reading Hirshey during the
World Cup. If you're going to only read one guy writing about soccer...
David "The Closer" Hirshey has more on the deal. I started reading Hirshey during the
World Cup. If you're going to only read one guy writing about soccer...
Quotable
Reactions to Bush's Speech.
"George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup. I first interviewed the guy in 1987 and began covering his political rise in 1993, and I have never seen him, in public or private, look less convincing, less sure of himself, less cocky. With his knitted brow and stricken features, he looked, well, scared. Not surprising since what he was doing in the White House library was announcing the escalation of an unpopular war."
Howard Fineman
"The basic problem that you have is that you've got a stubborn jerk in the White House who will ignore anything and do what he wants to do."
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
If George W. Bush had delivered Wednesday night's speech two years ago, he would have deserved praise for candor, equanimity, and breadth of vision. But given its actual timing, one can only wonder about his grip on reality.
Fred Kaplan
President Bush was at his best tonight: serious, detailed, and above all, resolute.
Hugh Hewitt, Tool
"I applaud the president for rejecting the fatalism of failure and pursuing a new course to achieve success in Iraq."
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Tool Too
"This is a dangerously wrongheaded strategy that will drive America deeper into an unwinnable swamp at a great cost."
Sen. Chuck Hagel R-Neb. (Non-Tool)
"George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup. I first interviewed the guy in 1987 and began covering his political rise in 1993, and I have never seen him, in public or private, look less convincing, less sure of himself, less cocky. With his knitted brow and stricken features, he looked, well, scared. Not surprising since what he was doing in the White House library was announcing the escalation of an unpopular war."
Howard Fineman
"The basic problem that you have is that you've got a stubborn jerk in the White House who will ignore anything and do what he wants to do."
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
If George W. Bush had delivered Wednesday night's speech two years ago, he would have deserved praise for candor, equanimity, and breadth of vision. But given its actual timing, one can only wonder about his grip on reality.
Fred Kaplan
President Bush was at his best tonight: serious, detailed, and above all, resolute.
Hugh Hewitt, Tool
"I applaud the president for rejecting the fatalism of failure and pursuing a new course to achieve success in Iraq."
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Tool Too
"This is a dangerously wrongheaded strategy that will drive America deeper into an unwinnable swamp at a great cost."
Sen. Chuck Hagel R-Neb. (Non-Tool)
January 10, 2007
Couch Potato Legend
Couch Potatoes will often speak of this but only in hushed tones.
Behold! The 108 inch Television. Tremble before it!
Behold! The 108 inch Television. Tremble before it!
Bush: Like a Rock
Only Dumber.
So despite opposition from Congress, from the Generals, from the Public and even from the frickin people who thought up this dumb idea in the first place, Bush is going to go ahead and put 20,000 more troops into Iraq.
Shear stupid force of will drives this man forward.
Into the abyss.
So despite opposition from Congress, from the Generals, from the Public and even from the frickin people who thought up this dumb idea in the first place, Bush is going to go ahead and put 20,000 more troops into Iraq.
Shear stupid force of will drives this man forward.
Into the abyss.
January 9, 2007
Enemy of the Wha?
Sean Hannity is now awarding an "Enemy of the State" prize. Not "Liberal moron of the week" not "Worse Person in the World" (Yeah!) but "Enemy of the State" The first winner is Shawn Penn.
So the conservative movement is "The State" now? Or has Hannity just taken the fascist leap and really means "the State" as the Bush administration and "enemies" to mean its critics? Words matter and "Enemy of the State" is what you label your domestic opposition after its been driven into exile or convicted in a show trial. Do you think Hannity really wants to go there or his rhetoric misfired?
So the conservative movement is "The State" now? Or has Hannity just taken the fascist leap and really means "the State" as the Bush administration and "enemies" to mean its critics? Words matter and "Enemy of the State" is what you label your domestic opposition after its been driven into exile or convicted in a show trial. Do you think Hannity really wants to go there or his rhetoric misfired?
January 8, 2007
The Big Reveal!
So Bush is announcing the "Surge" of troops on Wednesday. Congress is already lining up, for and against. (More against)I'm guessing this is going to land with a thud, in both polls and Congress. But it will happen anyway, given the system. Bush is Commander in Chief, which means the military reports to him. So if he says send more troops, more troops are going to go.
Now Congress and the people who elect them don't want this "surge" but their options are limited. There is Congress's "power of the purse" but cutting off funds for the "surge" or the war in general is politically tricky and may not work. As Barney Franks points out, Bush can simply move money about the Pentagon to work around any budget blocks Congress puts in his way. Which makes stopping him hard, short of defunding the entier Pentagon.
So we are stuck.
Now Congress and the people who elect them don't want this "surge" but their options are limited. There is Congress's "power of the purse" but cutting off funds for the "surge" or the war in general is politically tricky and may not work. As Barney Franks points out, Bush can simply move money about the Pentagon to work around any budget blocks Congress puts in his way. Which makes stopping him hard, short of defunding the entier Pentagon.
So we are stuck.
January 7, 2007
January 5, 2007
Yesterday in History
The first female Speaker of the House took office.
For those of you in denial about this historic event, check out all the things that Foxnews covered instead of history.
For those of you in denial about this historic event, check out all the things that Foxnews covered instead of history.
January 4, 2007
Keeping Califorian Regular
Doing the important things:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially proclaimed January 2007 as "California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month," and wants all Californians to incorporate the fruits into their daily diet. Dried plums, as you might recall, used to be called "prunes" until growers decided they needed a name that doesn't evoke jokes like those we're making here.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially proclaimed January 2007 as "California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month," and wants all Californians to incorporate the fruits into their daily diet. Dried plums, as you might recall, used to be called "prunes" until growers decided they needed a name that doesn't evoke jokes like those we're making here.
January 3, 2007
Smart Moves
There have been some great political moves going down lately:
John Edwards has termed the "Surge" of troops in Iraq the "McCain doctrine." That is a phrase that will stick and will completely hang the failed and failing Iraq policy on the Republican's leading light.
A Joe Lieberman critic has taken over the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, which was the legal fiction that Joe used to run again after he lost the Democratic primary. The new bylaws now say that anyone named Lieberman can join the party. Oh and Lieberman critics are welcome too.
Muslim Rep.-elect Keith Ellison been taking a lot of right wing nut fire for wanting to do his (ceremonial/photo-op) swearing in ceremony on a Koran. So he's bringing a big gun to the party: He will be using a Koran owned by Thomas Jefferson for the ceremony. Ah Hah!
Winning breeds more winning. We win some elections and suddenly we are looking very clever. Better looking too.
John Edwards has termed the "Surge" of troops in Iraq the "McCain doctrine." That is a phrase that will stick and will completely hang the failed and failing Iraq policy on the Republican's leading light.
A Joe Lieberman critic has taken over the Connecticut for Lieberman Party, which was the legal fiction that Joe used to run again after he lost the Democratic primary. The new bylaws now say that anyone named Lieberman can join the party. Oh and Lieberman critics are welcome too.
Muslim Rep.-elect Keith Ellison been taking a lot of right wing nut fire for wanting to do his (ceremonial/photo-op) swearing in ceremony on a Koran. So he's bringing a big gun to the party: He will be using a Koran owned by Thomas Jefferson for the ceremony. Ah Hah!
Winning breeds more winning. We win some elections and suddenly we are looking very clever. Better looking too.
January 2, 2007
Just Stop
More signals that Bush is going to charge ahead with more troops. But:
The next question, of course, is whether anyone in the U.S. will approve of such a move.
The troops don't seem to care for the idea. Neither does the public. The Joint Chiefs aren't enthralled with the proposal, and new Defense Secretary Robert Gates apparently has some concerns of his own.
On the Hill, while congressional Democrats are nearly universal in their opposition to escalation, the list of high-profile Republican opponents, or at least skeptics, has grown considerably in just the last three days. Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Chuck Lugar (R-Ind.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) are all expressing doubts, if not outright opposition.
The next question, of course, is whether anyone in the U.S. will approve of such a move.
The troops don't seem to care for the idea. Neither does the public. The Joint Chiefs aren't enthralled with the proposal, and new Defense Secretary Robert Gates apparently has some concerns of his own.
On the Hill, while congressional Democrats are nearly universal in their opposition to escalation, the list of high-profile Republican opponents, or at least skeptics, has grown considerably in just the last three days. Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Chuck Lugar (R-Ind.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) are all expressing doubts, if not outright opposition.
January 1, 2007
Back to Work
And so ends the one day of the year when I care about college football.
I must say that this game was absolutely incredible. There is no reason on this earth for me to care about the outcome of Boise State and Oklahoma, but damn if they didn't make me care. Boise last touchdown was a WR option in overtime, then they went for two and got it. 22 scored in the last two minutes.
What a game. Amazing.
I now go back to not caring about college football.
I must say that this game was absolutely incredible. There is no reason on this earth for me to care about the outcome of Boise State and Oklahoma, but damn if they didn't make me care. Boise last touchdown was a WR option in overtime, then they went for two and got it. 22 scored in the last two minutes.
What a game. Amazing.
I now go back to not caring about college football.
New Year, New Deal.
Resolutions: To quit smoking...Done. Also to increase traffic to the blog and be a better person.
Predictions: Big fight coming on Iraq between Bush and the new Democratic(!) Congress. Also lots of investigations and subpoenas and fights over investigations and subpoenas. Oddly, there will not be big fights over the budget and immigration, where Bush will roll over for the Dems.
2007 will be the year of Republican panic. This is the year they realise that Iraq has already cost them both Houses in Congress and will cost them a lot more in 2008. They will also realise that Bush will not change course. Thus panic.
Also, I'm getting a new car.
And celebrities will continue to reproduce, marry and divorce at alarming rates.
I myself will do none of these.
Happy New Year.
Good Luck.
Predictions: Big fight coming on Iraq between Bush and the new Democratic(!) Congress. Also lots of investigations and subpoenas and fights over investigations and subpoenas. Oddly, there will not be big fights over the budget and immigration, where Bush will roll over for the Dems.
2007 will be the year of Republican panic. This is the year they realise that Iraq has already cost them both Houses in Congress and will cost them a lot more in 2008. They will also realise that Bush will not change course. Thus panic.
Also, I'm getting a new car.
And celebrities will continue to reproduce, marry and divorce at alarming rates.
I myself will do none of these.
Happy New Year.
Good Luck.
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